Artist Statement

My work is grounding, giving me purpose, discipline and satisfaction. Using early tactile memories and my acquired sense of beauty, I try to depict functional forms through organic abstraction, while stretching the possibilities of volume, line, and gesture. I enjoy the creative challenge to explore the object of daily use as vessels for intimate interaction as well as enticing presentation pieces.

I was raised in a household that valued a sense of beauty in the everyday; flowers on the bedside tables, food served in antique china, and the display being as integral part of the meal as the flavors of the food. From this I have learned to appreciate the beauty of presentation. These daily rituals add color to a life and remind us of the whole experience that can often be overlooked.

My process of working has to remain open and spontaneous. I want my mind to stay present to the impulses and the play during the moments of creativity. The intriguing challenge is to transition through the stages from wet clay to finished ware while keeping the forms from becoming inert. To address this I try to enliven the surfaces; having the pattern come from the piece, a part of the form, by applying decoration during the earliest stages of wet clay. I have chosen patterns that reflect my early tactile memories of nature, water, erosion, and weathering; repetitious lines of time, tides, sand, and wind.